Allium falcifolium
Scytheleaf onion
(c) Trevor Van Loon, some rights reserved (CC BY) · licence
Family: Alliaceae · Type: Herb · Native
Allium falcifolium (Scytheleaf onion) is a native California herb in the Alliaceae family, recognized by flat winged stem and sickle-shaped leaves.
Scytheleaf onion is a California native perennial found in northwestern California and San Francisco Bay Area bioregions in heavy clay habitats, including serpentine soils, at elevations of 100 to 2,100 meters. Flowering from April to June, this plant produces rose-purple or dingy white flowers 9 to 15 millimeters long in clusters of 10 to 30 blooms. Growing with flat, winged stems 5 to 20 centimeters tall, it emerges from a small ovoid bulb with brown to red-brown outer layers. Its distinctive leaves are just two in number, sickle-shaped, and grow 1.5 to 3 times the length of the stem. The plant's inner bulb coats are white or pink, with perianth parts that have minute glandular teeth.
Identification and appearance
Key characters: 30 sympatric species - distinguished by flat winged stem and sickle-shaped leaves
Habitat and range
Habitat: Common. Heavy clays including serpentine
Elevation: 100-2100 m
California counties: Mendocino, Lake, Napa, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Del Norte, San Mateo, Humboldt, Siskiyou, Tehama, Trinity, Marin, Stanislaus, Colusa, Alameda, Glenn, Sonoma, Shasta, Monterey
Outside California: southwestern Oregon
Bloom period
Allium falcifolium blooms Apr-Jun.
How to tell it apart
vs Triteleia: Allium smells like onion when crushed; triplet lily has no smell.; vs Agapanthus: Allium smells like onion; lily-of-the-Nile has no smell and much larger flowers.; vs Dipterostemon: Allium smells like onion when crushed; ookow has no onion smell.; vs Nothoscordum: Allium smells like onion when crushed; false garlic has no smell.; vs Tulbaghia: Allium has flowers in tight umbels; society garlic has flowers in loose open clusters.
Frequently asked questions
Is Allium falcifolium native to California?
Yes. Allium falcifolium is native to California (recorded as native).
When does Allium falcifolium bloom?
Allium falcifolium blooms Apr-Jun.
Where in California does Allium falcifolium grow?
Allium falcifolium occurs in Mendocino, Lake, Napa, Contra Costa, Santa Clara, Del Norte, San Mateo, Humboldt and other counties, at elevations of 100-2100 m.
What plant family does Allium falcifolium belong to?
Allium falcifolium is in the Alliaceae family, genus Allium.
What habitat does Allium falcifolium grow in?
Allium falcifolium grows in Common. Heavy clays including serpentine.
Related species
Other California species in the same genus, family, or bioregion.
Sources: Jepson eFlora · Index of California Plant Names · CalPhotos
Last updated 2026-10-07
Data from The California Species Project — 14,000+ California species with verified data from CNPS, CDFW, USFWS, Cal-IPC, and more.